U.S. Retail Sales Rise Most Since 2015 on Storm-Related Lift
People walk through The Shops at Columbus Circle mall in New York.
Photographer: Victor J. Blue/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
U.S. retail sales jumped last month by the most in more than two years as motor vehicles lost to hurricanes were quickly replaced and higher prices lifted receipts at gasoline stations, Commerce Department figures showed Friday.
Vehicle sales helped to drive the overall gain at retailers in September. Demand recovered after auto dealerships around Houston, among the top markets for new-vehicle sales, took a hit from Hurricane Harvey a month earlier. Industry figures released last week showed cars and light trucks sold in September at the fastest annualized rate since 2005.